The Arizona sentinel., 1887-05-14
Death of Pa squale, Chief of the YumaS.

| It Is supposed that he was at least lOU
 years old at his death The Surgeon Gen erlrs report, ot 1876. claimed that he was then over s. His illness was lingering, but severe, superinduced by anxiety for the welfare of his people during the recent measles epidemic which swept away over one hundred of his relatives and subjects
 Pasquale was remarkable man, particu- larly noted for his intelligence, courage and physical strength. In these respects he ranked far above Cochise, Mana, Geronimo, and other chiefs of Arizona tribes
 But little of his history can be learned here. General Heintzleman made him Chief in 1851 when he established Fort Yuma. With the ex ;eption of some diff culties with the whites between the years 1852 and 1856 Pasquale has been friendly and peaceable. He was a just and fair minded Indian himself and often enforced discipline and obedience upon refractory members of his tribe by 'snake tailing," or the free use of the hickory. He was never known to drink nor steal and the lash was the inevitable penalty for those violating his example. For the first violation, seven lashes were applied; for the second, fourteen lashes; for the third, twenty y-one, and in- creasing thus for each repeated violation until the Indian was either reformed or whipped to death,
 For weeks, wan and emaciated, mere living skeleton, he lay upon his rude.bed surrounded night and day by squaws who kept up an ineessant wailing that was weird and unearthly in the extreme. The end came on the night of the 9th. During the remainder of the night the older Indians completed preparations for his cremation, most of which had been made days before The younger bucks carried the 6rewood and tered to accompany the Chief to his future home.
 Bright and early Tuesday morning many ladies and gentlemen from Yuma repaired to the indian village to witness the curious and barbaric cremation ceremonies.
 The village, situated directly west of the hills upon which the fort is built, on the California shore of the Colorado, is in the midst of flat covered with willow, mes quite and cottonwood trees, which grow abundantly. Among these, the rude huts, orwickiups, ot the Indians are scattered.
 The entire tribe had been notified and several hundred Yumas assembled about the funeral pile. This was formed by dig ging V-shaped hole seven feet long by three feet wide. Along its sides large.sticks of dry wood were placed upright Between these sticks bed of dry twigs and brush was heaped and upon this the body, well swathed in sheet, was placed; then came dry wood; next, thick canvass covering and uponthis logs were piled until the pyrereach- ed seven feet in height. Then, the worldly possessions of the old chief, comprising an old-fashioned trunk, quilts, blankets, knives, bows and arrows, calico, gun, and a vari- etY of other things. Two fine young horses, gaily rigged in bright-colored trappings, were brought to the pile alongside of which their graves had been dug. Just before applying the torch the poor brutes were knocked on the head with axes, disembow eled, thrown into their graves, and, as the last shovel of dirt fell upon them, the torch was applied and the dense smoke and flames rose heavenward, leaving but a heap of smouldering ashes to represent all that was earthly of Pasquale.
 During the ceremony, the bucks and squaws, grouped about the funeral pile, kept up a solemn, heartrending crying and wailing, the anguish and sorrow of which | could not have been more intensely ex' pressed by the highest type of civilization. Several young boys, holding bows and ar rows, with fancifully designed headgear of red flannel and feathers, assisted actively. | Many Indians threw their most valuable possessions into the flames. A buck his watch, sqnaws their ornaments and calico, and children and men their weapons. The older squaws were, in most cases, nearly | nude as were many of the older men. The entire scene was extraordinary and i'm pressive.
 The older Indians generally led the cere- monies. Several fearful speeches were made, which, though unintelligible to the whites, invariably ended with the cry, "Pasquale! Pasquale!' This, with the cremations of the Yumas recently dying of the measles, has practically bankrupted the tribe. It is feared that papers of great his- torical interest. belonging to Pasquale, and received concerning him at various times during his long and varied career, have been destroyed with his body.
 Several days will elapse before the cleo tion of successor to Pasquale, Captain" Miguel being Chief ad interim by appoint ment of Pasquale. It is thought that an English speaking Indian will be selected.
 EX-Commissisner Hubbard arrived Tues-